Sets out to subvert the 19th-century novel—especially its typical marriage plot, in which a delightful heroine, after a series of unfortunate setbacks and misunderstandings, finally walks down the aisle with the hero ... By the time of its breathless ending, A Perfect Hand has done what Eliot warned against in fiction-writing: moving from the 'picture' to the 'diagram,' from wholeness to formula. But this rushed wrap-up aside, Ms. Waldman has written a witty and enjoyable pastiche. I found myself wholly invested in the relationship between the admirable Alice and Charlie, willing them on to walk down the aisle. They were, I was convinced, meant to be together.
A delectable and ingenious subversion of the marriage plot. Deploying slyly surprising characters, confounding predicaments, agile wit, and an exhilarating twist, Waldman offers a pleasurable, purposeful, and moving tale that takes on class and gender biases, the fight for women’s suffrage, love, and transcendent friendship.
Rich in detail and compelling in plot ... A Perfect Hand reminds readers both of how much of our current discourse is echoed in the past, and of how important it is for one to stand up for one’s beliefs—and for those around one, too.
A captivating historical drama, an appealing romance, and a story of political awakening, cleverly packaged as a novel of manners ... An engaging and witty work of escapism until it turns to more serious-minded concerns, while never losing its charm ... This versatile novel will entertain and stay with readers long past its final pages.
Author of a considerable and popular body of work of fiction (Mommy-Track Mystery series) and nonfiction (Bad Mother), Waldman imagines characters who are droll or awful. This time she has dealt readers a truly winning hand.
With much strategizing and manipulation including a few blunders, the reader happily rides along in this romp of a novel ... Waldman’s writing is clever and witty, and her characters thoroughly entertaining in their quirks and foibles ... This is a romance turned on its head, a comedy addressing important concerns, and a few surprises thrown in at the end.
Waldman evokes Jane Austen in her clever observations ... Adds a fresh and modern edge to the story’s familiar material via Alice’s involvement with the period’s 'radical' ideas. There’s much to enjoy in this tale of balancing love and ambition.
Sometimes a Victorian-era caper, replete with crinolines and coiffures, carries a shockingly important purpose beneath its skirts ... Waldman comes up with an ending so interesting and unusual that to say even one word more would be unjust ... Witty, frothy, and ultimately wise.
